|
|
Article: Polar bears a drift: policy decisions put them on thin ice.(CONSERVATION IN THE ARCTIC AND THE TROPICS TESTING OUR KINSHIP WITH NATURE)
- Article from:
- Science & Spirit
- Article date:
- March 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Everyone likes conservation, especially of beautiful venues like national parks, or of majestic creatures like bald eagles. The current plight of polar bears and mangroves--cute here and gnarly there--offers a glimpse of today's debate over protecting wildlife and ecological niches. In conservation, the concerns are legion. Our kinship with nature is full of tradeoffs. But in these two cases, the parties at risk seem clear enough.
Polar bears have long inspired awe, fear--and cuddly picture books for kids. Perhaps that is why, more than anything, these snow-colored giants of the Arctic have become symbols of the environmental train ...